Releasing-hook for life-boats and the like.



" finme W J Huff Patented May 28, 1912;

w. J. 3111 1. RELEASING HOOK. FOR LIFE BOATS AND THE LIKE;

Y APPLICATION FILED 511m. 25, 1911."

-RELEASING-HOOK FOR LIFE-BOATS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. f

Patented. May 28, 1912;

Application filed September 25, 1911. Serial No. 651,149.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM-JOHN in, the county of of the city of Toronto,

Canada,

York, iii-the Erovinoe of Ontario,

of which the following is the specifigiation. p

- My invention relates to improvements in releasing hooks for life boats and the like and the object of the invention is to provide a simple device conveniently'located in the boat for simultaneously operating the ,releasing means of the hook at each end of the "boat so as to simultaneously and instan=- taneously free the boat at each endimmediately the boat reaches each vdavit tackle and provided with a depending head, a suitable eye at each end of the boat, a hook engaging each eye, a spring lield sleeveconnected to the shank of'the hook contalninggrlpping jaws-designed to grip the depending head of the eye 0on nected to the davit tackle, a cable connected to each of the spring held sleeves of the boat I supporting hooks and extending down beneath the gunwale' of the boat through a tube leading from each end to the center of the boat so as to leave the central portions 'of the cable exposed, a supporting block depending beneath the gunwale; in proximity to each inner end of the cable contain ing tube, a handle provide'd with blocks supported by the central portion of" the cord between the aforesaid blocks depending from the gunwale as hereinafter more particularly described the following specifi- 5 0 indicate correspond .stern portion with-eyes A and A cation; I

Figure 1', represents a general perspective View of a boat showing mysupporting hooks andreleasing means connected thereto. Fig/2, isan enlargedperspectividetail of th boatsnpporting hook and the davit tackle/eye releasably connected thereshowsition Fig. 4, a?

aj d, the davit' tackle eye removed.

vertical section through Fig. 2.

In thei'drawings'fiflze letters-of reference lng'parts in each figure. A is a'i'ife boait. provided at the bow and B and Bfjareblooks depending davits and iforny'ing, part of the tackle thereof.

the water and it consists essentially of an eye connected to releasing jaws the released pothereby ner by the straps B and B'.' Each eye C is provided with a depending stem Cf terminating in" a head C "D and D are hooks designed to engage with the eyes A and A Each hook D and D. is provided with upwardly extending lugs D between which are pivoted gripping jaws D and D by'mea-ns of the cross pin D It will be noticed on referring'to Fig. 4 that the upper end of the jawsare'enlarged and provided with flaring portionsD. D? is a sleeve provided with a'correspondinglyfiared portion D and a shoulder D hook extends a spiral spring D Each sleeve D is provided with an eye D in which is held a ring D. Eachuhook D and D is provided with a lug E between which 1s swung upon across pin E a block E which'are supported tubes F and F The imity tothe bow and the stern of the boat boat.

hook D beneath the block E of the hook D and through the tube ,1?" to the tube. F through which it passes to the eye D form- D. It will be noticed that the central portion of the cable Gr extending betweenthe lnner ends of the tubes F and F is exposed gunwale of the boat in proximity to the inner endsof the tubes F and F and over which, the central portionof the cable G passes so as to support the same;

I is an operating handle swung upon the cable Gr between the blocks H and H and is supported thereon by the boat and designed to hide the handle from sight sothat the passengers will not be able to see the same.

desired to release theboat all that itis necessary 'to do after thegboat has been lowered into thewateris to pull upon the handle I S eeve elprings D and thereby and D so as to free the head m i s PATEnr OFFICE. 5

Between the shoulder D and the top of the tubes F and F? extend from points in.prox-' to points proximity to the center of the H-and H are blocks swung beneath the;

swung upon the cross barv I of the handleI. J is an apron secured to the gunwale of releasin Qthe jawsv 5? forming;

' C C are eyes connected in the nsual manand B to the blocks B F is the gunwale of the boat beneath G is a cable extending from the eye D r forming part of the releasing means. of the ing part of the releasing tackle of the hook the blocks I and I I in the-boat; When it is drawing upon the cable .G simulta- A neousl from-{each end-thereby depressing from the,

part of the davit tackle eye 0 thus freeing the boat simultaneously and instantaneously ..:t each end. To prevent the hooks D and.

and D from coming out of the eyes .A and A when the hooks are freed, I wind suitable wire K around the hooks as shown in Fig. 1 so as to prevent the hooks from coming out of the eyes. To prevent water getting into the sleeve D I provide a rub her cap L fitting over the top -of the sleeve and around the steinG andof the eye G.

.The stem C is'providd with a rib (3* so that there will he a closer connection between the rubber cap and the stem.

From this description it will be. seen that I haie devised a very simple device whereby a life boat when lowered into the water may be instantaneously and simultaneously released at both ends thereby minimizing the 1 danger of the boat capsizing inrough water.

What I claim as my invention is.

1. A releasing hook for life boats/com prising an eye member having adepending head at one end, a hook member having up.-

Copies of this patent may be obtained. 10'! wardly projecting lugs'between which are pivotally mounted gripping aws'designed to engage said depending head, and a sl d; ing spring-held sleeve inolosing said gripplng jaws, with means for operating same,

substantially as described.

' 2. A releasing hook for life boats comprising an eye member having a depending head at one end, a hook member having two upwardly projectlng lugs between which are WILLIAM JOHN HUFF.

Witnesses B. Born, ,H. PRESTON.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

